They are scarcely to be accounted organic elements of the professed work of research and instruction for the ostensible pursuit of which the schools exists.

But these symptomatic indications go to establish a presumption as to the character of the work performed--as seen from the economic point of view--and as to the bent which the serious work carried on under their auspices gives to the youth who resort to the schools.

The presumption raised by the considerations already offered is that in their work also, as well as in their ceremonial, the higher schools may be expected to take a conservative position; but this presumption must be checked by a comparison of the economic character of the work actually performed, and by something of a survey of the learning whose conservation is intrusted to the higher schools.

On this head, it is well known that the accredited seminaries of learning have, until a recent date, held a conservative position.

They have taken an attitude of depreciation towards all innovations.